Better grip and lower degradation: why Ferrari is aiming for race win in F1 Miami GP
05/05/2024 11:24
The copy-paste between the Sprint qualifying lineup and the Sprint race finishing order shouldn’t be misleading. Obviously, the Miami circuit doesn’t facilitate overtaking, often resulting in a series of DRS trains where the speed differential between the various cars is practically nil. However, the difference between the Sprint and today’s race will be evident mainly in terms of strategies, considering the difference in fuel load they carry. Essentially, besides the unfavorable track layout for overtaking, two factors played a role in maintaining the same starting positions among the top six cars in the Sprint. The first concerns the tire degradation being null due to the reduced amount of fuel loaded to cover 19 laps. The second is caution, meaning the drivers’ need not to jeopardize the integrity of the car, risking not being able to compete in the subsequent qualifying for today’s race.
What emerged, in any case, concerns the level of competitiveness of the various cars, constantly evolving. Focusing on Ferrari, it seemed evident how Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s pace was effectively limited by the inopportunity to attempt aggressive maneuvers, in the case of the Monegasque in trying to immediately pass Verstappen at the start of the Sprint, while for the Spaniard, the short length of the DRS section on the back straight would have required a more decisive but riskier attack to overtake Daniel Ricciardo. An interesting note regarding Charles Leclerc’s setup choice in the shootout and the Sprint compared to Carlos Sainz’s involves a difference (although not pronounced) in the dynamic setup between his SF-24 and Carlos Sainz’s. Specifically, a more “reactive” setup for the Monegasque allowed him to more effectively hit the grip level between the tire and the asphalt on Friday afternoon, while yesterday the difference was less marked.
LOW DEGRADATION — As mentioned, the track is continuously evolving with a progressive increase in adhesive grip that should ensure a lower degradation in the race than what emerged in the first free practice session. In this sense, both SF-24 cars could enjoy a strategic advantage over their rivals to exploit in today’s race. Ultimately, the SF-24 cars, on a track with not excessively high grip, have shown themselves not far from the Red Bulls, which, precisely because of the variations in track grip, have not fully expressed their dominant potential seen on other occasions. The possibility of playing a race where performance weaknesses are less evident is within reach for the two “red-blues”. And the result of the qualifying, with two Ferraris capable of sticking close to Max Verstappen, will surely be an additional motivation for the reds.
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